After winning reelection, Boise mayor to attend international summit. Where she’s going

Newly reelected Boise Mayor Lauren McLean plans to attend international climate negotiations in Dubai in December at the invitation of the United Nations.

The two-day event, called the Local Climate Action Summit, is hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, better known as COP28.

COP is an annual gathering of leaders and diplomats from around the world aimed at negotiating actionable plans to reduce global carbon emissions and stave off the worst affects of human-caused climate change.

“... This historic convening will recognize the critical role of local leaders in reducing emissions, addressing climate risk, and supercharging national efforts to move further and faster on climate progress,” according to an invitation letter sent to McLean. It is signed by Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former Mayor of New York who runs Bloomberg Philanthropies and is the U.N. Secretary-General’s special envoy on climate ambition and solution; and Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, an oil executive from the United Arab Emirates in charge of this year’s climate negotiations.

“Cross-sector and multilevel governmental cooperation is critical to retaining climate ambition,” the letter said, adding that a recent analysis “reveals the gaps in our efforts to keep a 1.5 C future within reach.”

Almost 200 countries signed the Paris Agreement in 2016, which strives to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Average global temperatures have already increased by at least 1.1 degrees Celsius, according to data from NASA, and 2023 is expected to be recorded as the warmest year on record at 1.43 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures, according to a recent report.

McLean made climate preparation a focus of her first term, setting a goal of making the city climate neutral by 2050. The city has also made a deal to purchase solar energy from Idaho Power to power some city buildings and plans to expand its geothermal network, which heats buildings downtown, including City Hall.

“We will make sure that we continue to lead on climate,” McLean said at her victory speech on Tuesday, after defeating candidate Mike Masterson. McLean said she wants to “prepare our city for the future so that our kids live in a place with resilience.”

Steve Burgos, the city’s public works director, who oversees climate initiatives, will join McLean at the Dubai conference, according to a memorandum from the mayor’s office sent to the City Council. The memo asks for McLean and Burgos’s wages to be paid while they attend the conference, which requires council approval. The hosts will pay for the cost of the travel.

About 100 mayors from around the world were invited to the conference, Boise spokesperson Maria Weeg told the Idaho Statesman.

Last year’s conference, held in Egypt, resulted in an agreement to have wealthy countries like the U.S., which are responsible for the most emissions, to pay poor countries struggling with climate disasters. Many of those same countries are the most vulnerable to catastrophic climate effects, like widespread flooding, heat waves or other extreme weather.

The specifics of that plan were left out, and negotiators plan to hash out the details at this year’s conference.

Last year, Boise climate activist and school board member Shiva Rajbhandari attended COP and expressed frustration that the international agreements to date do not include “any language on phasing out of all fossil fuels.”